Product description

Hacker extraordinaire Kevin Mitnick delivers the explosive encore to his bestselling The Art of Deception Kevin Mitnick, the world's most celebrated hacker, now devotes his life to helping businesses and governments combat data thieves, cybervandals, and other malicious computer intruders. In his bestselling The Art of Deception, Mitnick presented fictionalized case studies that illustrated how savvy computer crackers use "social engineering" to compromise even the most technically secure computer systems. Now, in his new book, Mitnick goes one step further, offering hair-raising stories of real-life computer break-ins-and showing how the victims could have prevented them.
Mitnick's reputation within the hacker community gave him unique credibility with the perpetrators of these crimes, who freely shared their stories with him-and whose exploits Mitnick now reveals in detail for the first time, including: * A group of friends who won nearly a million dollars in Las Vegas by reverse-engineering slot machines* Two teenagers who were persuaded by terrorists to hack into the Lockheed Martin computer systems* Two convicts who joined forces to become hackers inside a Texas prison* A "Robin Hood" hacker who penetrated the computer systems of many prominent companies-andthen told them how he gained accessWith riveting "you are there" descriptions of real computer break-ins, indispensable tips on countermeasures security professionals need to implement now, and Mitnick's own acerbic commentary on the crimes he describes, this book is sure to reach a wide audience-and attract the attention of both law enforcement agencies and the media.

Author information

KEVIN MITNICK, whose own exploits have made him a veritable hacker's hero, shares more than a dozen true stories of cyber-invasions-devilishly ingenious, highly effective schemes that kick up your pulse rate even as you marvel at their sheer audacity. Each is followed by Mitnick's expert analysis of how the attack could have been prevented. And he is uniquely qualified to recommend effective security measures. Both a legend in the hacker underworld and a general in the war on cybercrime, Kevin Mitnick holds the one weapon most likely to take down the intruder-intimate knowledge of the hacker's brilliant and tenacious mind. WILLIAM L. SIMON is an award-winning author and screenwriter who also collaborated with Kevin Mitnick on The Art of Deception.

Review quote

"...a valuable investment..." (AccountingWeb UK, 30th August 2005) "...he retells stories provided by his other hackers of how they managed, often with pitiful ease, to break supposedly secure companies all over the world." (Director, May 2005) "...a compilation of real hacking stories told to Mitnick by fellow hackers..." (VNUnet.com, March 2005) "Uniformly readable, some quite exciting...will impart familiar lessons to security pros while introducing lay readers to an enthralling field of inquiry." (Publishers Weekly, February 14, 2005) "...engaging writing style combines intrigue, entertainment, and education". (Library Journal, January 15, 2005)

Back cover copy

"Enter the hostile world of computer crime from the comfort of your own armchair. Mitnick presents ten compelling chapters, each the result of an interview with a real hacker about a real attack. A must-read for anyone with an interest in information security" --Tom Parker, Computer Security Analyst and founder of Global InterSec LLC "It boggles the mind to contemplate the tremendous brilliance that goes into these illegal deeds. Imagine how much could be accomplished if these geniuses would use their skills for good. Whether for entertainment or education, I recommend this book." --About.com Praise for The Art of Deception "Finally someone is onto the real cause of data security breaches--stupid humans. . . . Mitnick . . . reveals clever tricks of the 'social engineering' trade and shows how to fend them off." --Stephen Manes, "Forbes" "A tour de force, a series of tales of how some old-fashioned blarney and high-tech skills can pry any information from anyone. As entertainment, it's like reading the climaxes of a dozen complex thrillers, one after the other." --"Publishers Weekly"

Flap copy

Four pals clean up in Vegas with a pocket-sized computer. A bored Canadian teen gains access to the wire transfers section of a major Southern bank. A couple of kids are recruited to hack into Lockheed Martin and the Defense Information System Network by a terrorist with ties to Osama bin Laden. And these stories are true. If you're the security officer in your organization, the tales in this book crawled out of that closet where your nightmares live. Fears about national security keeping you awake? Put the coffee on; it gets worse. And if you just enjoy a heck of a good cliff-hanger full of spies and real-life intrigue, strap yourself in for a wild read.